Category Archives: Mag Stripe

Palm Beach State College’s Jessica Bender discusses magstripe technology and how it works in this installment of NACCU’s Talking Campus ID Tech series. In the video, hear about detailed underpinnings of magstripe technology, how it can be used for campus cards, and learn some of the features of the technology that have made it the stalwart of student ID cards for decades.

Vending is a core component of virtually every campus card program and for all the talk of how student IDs have evolved over time, vending has come a long way, too. The shift to cashless vending in particular has brought a new wave of convenience and utility to users, and removing the need for cash or coin has been a boon to the industry.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, each week we’re going to pull and review a story from the CR80News vault. The first edition of Throwback Thursday isn’t the furthest jump back in time, but it’s one of CR80News’ most highly trafficked stories year after year. It’s the infamous “cell phone demagnetizing a key card” myth.

Boston College has opted for a combination of prox, magstripe, PIN and Wi-F- enabled locks to better secure the campus’ dorms and academic buildings. After receiving approval last month, the changeover in security systems is slated to begin this fall semester with the help of Stanley Security.

Library patron ID is an age-old campus card function that’s been around since the earliest credentials. But as library materials grow in value to include things like laptops and tablets, it may be time for more robust verification measures at check out. Find out if newer card technologies are being leveraged in library systems or if mag stripes and barcodes are still on top.

Fast, cheap or good. The old adage says you typically can’t have all three. The same has been true when choosing a card printing technology, but things are changing. The direct-to-card method had filled the “fast and cheap” niche but new retransfer card printers are filling an important niche in the form of superior image quality and affordability.

A student at Oklahoma State used his final project in an information security class to decipher and duplicate the university’s student ID card. The student used a mag stripe reader/writer purchased online and a university web portal to decipher the card numbering system.

The Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M is asking students to swipe their university ID cards at all student center sponsored events and programs in an effort to better track attendance and engagement. According to the center’s president, students and guests will swipe their IDs or state-issued driver licenses prior to an event. Students will […]